MLB: grading Joe Exotic on his baseball intangibles

KEENESBURG, CO - APRIL 05: One of the 39 tigers rescued in 2017 from Joe Exotic's G.W. Exotic Animal Park relaxes at the Wild Animal Sanctuary on April 5, 2020 in Keenesburg, Colorado. Exotic, star of the wildly successful Netflix docu-series Tiger King, is currently in prison for a murder-for-hire plot and surrendered some of his animals to the Wild Animal Sanctuary. The Sanctuary cares for some 550 animals on two expansive reserves in Colorado. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

MLB players are having a little fun with one of the hottest characters on Netflix right now as Joe Exotic trades in his work gloves for a baseball glove.

Everybody who is working from home is trying to fill the time with something or another. Minor League and MLB players are no different. And so Joe Exotic makes his debut on one minor leaguer’s MLB: The Show game console.

Tyler Stephenson is a former first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds and he had a first-rate idea by creating Joe Exotic as a substitute player on his video game. The only problem is, I’m not sure the advance scouts would fancy Exotic mas a reserve right fielder, or a guy worthy of a roster spot at all. Let’s take a look at the skill set and see how many tools Exotic can bring to the ball diamond.

Hits for a high batting average. For some reason I picture a crouching Joe Exotic, hitting from the left side of the plate, turning on inside pitches and pulling balls down the line. With all the years of dealing with tigers at the zoo, you know he has quick hands and solid hand-eye coordination. One questions the work ethic though and his propensity for wanting to be in the limelight. I know the nickname Broadway Joe is taken, is Hollywood Joe available?

Hits for power. The long spindly arms don’t really give hope that Exotic can drive the ball, even to be called a gap hitter. Or warning track hitter. I’m guessing he equates more to an infield fly rule hitter. The fans are going to show up early to the ballpark to watch him take his cuts during batting practice, but they won’t be gawking over his towering flies.

Runs the bases well. Judging by the leg brace and the use of the one-legged walker, I’m guessing Exotic has a hard time going first to third on base hits. He is a gambling man, a risk taker to say the least, though he doesn’t project as a guy who swipes too many bags either.

Throws well. The holster he wears on his hip must be because he is a gunslinger. When his cannon of an arm isn’t gunning guys down, it must be tucked away in the leather, of his belt. There aren’t too many guys who will test that arm more than once trying to get an extra-base on throws coming from the right-field corner.

Fields well. Exotic doesn’t really seem like the agile type. One figures he’s a cat the coach is going to have to say, “baseball ready position Joe”, to a lot. Corralling balls bouncing around the corners of different stadiums is going to be difficult, as is playing certain nooks and crannies. He may even need to be taught the alligator mouth on fielding ground balls.